Home & Kitchen Appliance Blog

How long do appliances last?

Replacing a broken down appliance ranks among our least favorite situations as a retailer, because our customers might not be so excited to getting a new refrigerator as we would hope. Instead, these shoppers meet us in many points along the appliance mourning spectrum (denial, anger, bargaining, depression).

I recall countless conversations consoling those bereaved, especially, of more “recent” appliance purchases — which, though a bit longer than 10 years ago, struck owners as not lasting as long as they should. Or certainly, not as long as “the old one.”

“They just don’t make ’em like they used to,” I offer, and most agree and move into the last stage of appliance grief: acceptance.

What we didn’t generally get into was how they make ’em today. Specifically, how long should your appliances last?

Over the next few (indeterminate unit of time), I will get into that. And I will throw in some other fun number factoids (bonus!).